Car-identifying means



Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

srnnun x. woon, or nU'roHINsoN, KANSAS.-

cAnfIDENmF'YiNG MEANS.

applicati@ mea January 21, 14924. seriarnacsmes.

To all whom 'it may concerny Be it known that I, STRAUD K. Woon, .acitizen4 of the United States, and a resident of Hutchinson, RenoCounty, State of Kani sas, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Car-Identifying Means, of.

which the following'is a complete specification. .y

This invention relates to motor car identitying appliances of thatcharacter in which a card is affixed to anddisplayed on each car andcontains the signature and address of the owner, the engine number, themake, model and style ofcar, the State where issued, etc.,

there being a duplicate card in the possession of the proper Stateauthorities, and pref? erably an additional copy to be `carried by thedriver of the car, for display `on demand of a policeman or -other-State or municiv pal official, though the said copy isnotessential'where the 'original contains the signature of the driver,as in such case the officer can require the driver to write his name asa basis for comparisonwith the signature on the card displayed on-thecar.

The object of the invention is toproduce aL holder of such characterthat it efficiently protects and utilizes a car-identifying ca'rd as aseal so that the card'cannot be removed 3o without mutilation, orwithout injury to the" holder, as mutilation of such cards, in manyStates, is'the cause for arrest and investigation. Afurther object is toproduce a holder of the type mentioned, which is' of simple, strong,durable and attractive, ap-

p pearance. With these objects inviewthefinve'ntion consists incertain'novel and useful features of construction and organization ofparts 4o lasfhereinater describedand claimed; and in order thatit-may bereadily understood, reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawing,in which re 1 is a front view of a device embodymg the invention,asapplied to the` windshield of a motor car.

Figure 2 lis a rear view of the device. Figure 3 is asectionvon the lineIII-III of Figure 1. y

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an inner face view of a fragment of the rear member of thedevice.

back member.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section on the line V-VIof Figure 1.

' Figu're Tis a detail edge view showing the interlocking relationbetween theV front transparent plate and the identification card.

'In the. saidl drawing the holder is shown as composed of'two sheetsteelor equivalent members 'oi rectangular form, secured to' `gether andsealed in such relation by an identification .cardheld between themembers and readable but not accessible through a .window in the frontmember,

vide a rectangular recess 2, and is turned or flanged-back 'at its upperend at 3 to provide a downwardly-opening groove or `channel. The`portion of the memberproviding the back of the recess, isformed with anopening or window 4, and the member is provided near its'lower cornerswith boltholes 5 and near its upper margin with a hole 6. Above thewindow and ywithin the recess, is a pair of resilient hooks 7, formed atopposite ends Theback member lis pressed out to pro-1 of a plate 8secured to the back wall, and# provided at its lower margin with a iange9 between and'slightly below the horizontal i plane .of the hooks.l Theflange 9 acts as a stop for a transparent platetting snugly in therecess below the said iange. The transparent plate is preferablycomposed of two similar glass sections 10. united `to an interposedsheet 11 of isinglass, the latter being transparent and constituting areinforcement which will hold the glass sections 1n place even itcriss-crossed with a multiplicity of fractures. The plate described is astock product and hence available, but any transparent plate such aswire-glass, may be used as a substitute.

y'Ihefron't member 12Acorresponds in size and form to member 1, but isflanged at its side margins at 13 to prpvide grooves Jfor the receptionof the side edges of the back member, and with an upturned flange 14 atits lower end, to produce a groove for the reception of the lower end ofthe back member, the upper end of the front member being adapted toenter the groove 3 of the To secure the members together as explained,they are arranged end to end and relatively slid longitudinally to causethe side edges of the back member to engagefthe side grooves of thefront member, and when so related they are finally.` v interlocked atall four edgesand cannot be separated except by reversing the slidingmovement. l

The front member is formed with a recess l5 like recess 2, the platebeing pressed outwardly o`r oppositely vso that the two recesses, whenthe members are interlocked togetheras explained, form a single compart.ment. The front member is provided withy a window opening 16, lwith boltholes 17 to register with holes 5 'and with a lhole 18 to register withhole 6. A transparent plate 19 of the character described, tits snuglyin the recess `15, and a flexible identification card 20vis fitted overits inner face andinterlocked with the plate 19 by being bent over theuppervand lower ends Voi? the latter as at 21, so that the card cannotslip or buckle between said platev and thev corresponding plate of theback member, the plate. of the latter forming a smooth backing forthecard, as clearly shown. L v p On assembling the members ininterlockedrelation as explained, the transparent plates,

with the card secured to the front one, arev arate by reverse slidingmovement, without v tearing the card from said perforations upward. Norcan the window plates be broken and removed piecemeal to effect theremoval of the card without injury to the latter. If the plate 19 is cutout at the margins of opening 16, the card cannot be r-removed in tact,as there would still remain a frame of glass clamping the card at itsmargins against the plate of the other orv back mem-l ber. It willq beapparent,therefore, that it would be iiiipracticable for anyone toreadily remove a card for the purpose of replacing it with a fraudulentone, and even'if this, was done, it would beV instantly discovered whenan attempt wasv made to secure a new license, as with this'system it iscontemplated that the State authorities shall retain a duplicate of therequired card and compare same with the original or areplacement*thereof,'before.issuing a new license or permit. Y

The holder is adapted to be secured upon the wind shield, instrumentboard or other suitable place on a car. If upon the wind shield,securing bolts 23, mounted in the wind shield frame, are fitted throughthe registering holes 5 and 7, and wing-nuts 24- or the like, areemployed to clamp thetwo members together and to the said lframe. If theholder is secured to the instrument board or other place, bolts will beengaged with the said holes and with the additional holes 6 and 18 inthe rear and front members.

If the law requires that the card contain printed matter on the back aswell as on the front, the holder will preferably besecured adjacent thewind shield, so that the card may be in convenient position forinspection at both sides.

I claim: 1. In a device of the character described, a casing comprisingtwo slidably-related members, andv having a window'opening, a

,transparent plate coveringl the opening, a `certificate withln thecasing and interlocked with the transparent plate, and one or moreprongs within the Casing and adapted to .y

mutilate the certificate in the event the said members are slidablyoperated to give access to the interior of the casing. c

, 2. In a device of the character described, a. casing comprising twoslidably-related members, and khaving a window opening, a transparentplate covering the opening, a certificate within the casing andinterlocked with the transparent plate, and o ne or more spring prongsladapted to,engage, the certilicate and4v without injury thereto, yieldto movement thereof incidental-to'- the sliding of' the memberstogether, and to resist movement of the certificate to mutilatethe same,

when the members are slid in 'the reverse directlon for access to theinterior of the caslng.

3. In a dev-iceof the character described,

a frame comprising two members slidingly interlocked together atopposite edges, andk provided with awindow opening, one or more'resilient prongs within the frame and fixed thereto as .regards one ofits said. meinvbers but capable of repression toward the same, atransparent plate' within the casing between said'prongs and the saidWindow `opening and closingthe latter 4to prevent 'separating ordisengaging movement.

4. In a device of the character described,

a frame comprising two members slidingly interlocked together at'opposite edges, and provided with al window opening, one or moreresilient prongs within the frame and fixed thereto asregards one of itssaid members but capable of repression toward the- I same, avtransparent plate within the. casing between SaidprOngs-and the Saidwindow access tothe interior of the casing, a cer- ,125 opening andclosing the latter .to prevent tificate within the casing between thesaid plate and prongs formutilation by'thelatter in theevent the membersare slid to 'eiect 5. In a device of the character described,

a casing comprising a pair of members slidingly interlocked together atopposite edges, and provided with a window, ,one ormore resilient prongswithin 'the casing and repressible toward and carried by one of themembers thereof, a transparent plate within the casing and closing thesaid window,

and a cert-iiicate interposed between the said prongs and plate, ends ofthe latter; lthe prongs yielding to such sliding movement of the membersas shall bring them together, to avoid injury to the certificate, andresisting opposite movement of the members, to e'ect ymutilation of thecertificate.

-casin com risinV a air 6. In a device of the character described, a

of members slidably interlocked together at opposite edges and formedwithin their margins with recesses at their inner or adjacent sides, and

provided with a Window opening, one or more resilient prongs secured toand within the recess of one of said members and revpressible thereinbutl pointed toward the other member, a transparent plate fitting in ordisengaging movement, meansand lfolded around the the recess of theother member and closing the said window, and aV certificate interposedbetween the prongs and plate and fitting flatly against and foldedaround the ends of the latter, and provided one or more erorationsreceiving the point or points o the prongs when the casing is in closedcondition. 4 f

7., In a device of the character described, a casing comprising a pairof members slidably interlocked together at opposite edges and formedwithin their margins with recessesD at their inner or adjacent sides,and provided with a window opening, one or more resilient prongs securedto and with the recess of one of said members and repressible thereinbut pointed toward the other member, a transparent plate fitting in therecess of the other member and closing the said window, a certificateinterposed between the prongs and plate and fitting flatly against andfolded around the ends of the latter, and provided with one or more per-,forations receiving the point or points of the prongs when the casingis in closed condition, means interlocking the end edges of the membersagainst spreading-apart movement when fully closed together, andfastening means extending' through the members.

In .witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

s'rnnun K. woon.

